Real-Time 6D Object Pose Estimation on CPU

We propose a fast and accurate 6D object pose estimation from a RGB-D image. Our proposed method is template matching based and consists of three main technical components, PCOF-MOD (multimodal PCOF), balanced pose tree (BPT) and optimum memory rearrangement for a coarse-to-fine search. Our model templates on densely sampled viewpoints and PCOF-MOD which explicitly handles a certain range of 3D object pose improve the robustness against background clutters. BPT which is an efficient tree-based data structures for a large number of templates and template matching on rearranged feature maps where nearby features are linearly aligned accelerate the pose estimation. The experimental evaluation on tabletop and bin-picking dataset showed that our method achieved higher accuracy and faster speed in comparison with state-of-the-art techniques including recent CNN based approaches. Moreover, our model templates can be trained only from 3D CAD in a few minutes and the pose estimation run in near real-time (23 fps) on CPU. These features are suitable for any real applications.Comment: accepted to IROS 201

A study of live neural cell in cultured neural network by using Raman spectroscopy

関西学院大

Porphyromonas gingivalis Clearance by SIgA

Our previous studies showed that a combination of a DNA plasmid encoding Flt3 ligand (pFL) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides 1826 (CpG ODN) (FL/CpG) as a nasal adjuvant provoked antigen-specific immune responses. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a nasal vaccine consisting of FimA as the structural subunit of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) fimbriae and FL/CpG for the induction of FimA-specific antibody (Ab) responses and their protective roles against nasal and lung infection by P. gingivalis, a keystone pathogen in the etiology of periodontal disease. C57BL/6 mice were nasally immunized with recombinant FimA (rFimA) plus FL/CpG three times at weekly intervals. As a control, mice were given nasal rFimA alone. Nasal washes (NWs) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice given nasal rFimA plus FL/CpG resulted in increased levels of rFimA-specific secretory IgA (SIgA) and IgG Ab responses when compared with those in controls. Significantly increased numbers of CD8- or CD11b-expressing mature-type dendritic cells (DCs) were detected in the respiratory inductive and effector tissues of mice given rFimA plus FL/CpG. Additionally, significantly upregulated Th1/Th2-type cytokine responses by rFimA-stimulated CD4+ T cells were noted in the respiratory effector tissues. When mice were challenged with live P. gingivalis via the nasal route, mice immunized nasally with rFimA plus FL/CpG inhibited P. gingivalis colonization in the nasal cavities and lungs. In contrast, controls failed to show protection. Of interest, when IgA-deficient mice given nasal rFimA plus FL/CpG were challenged with nasal P. gingivalis, the inhibition of bacterial colonization in the respiratory tracts was not seen. Taken together, these results show that nasal FL/CpG effectively enhanced DCs and provided balanced Th1- and Th2-type cytokine response-mediated rFimA-specific IgA protective immunity in the respiratory tract against P. gingivalis. A nasal administration with rFimA and FL/CpG could be a candidate for potent mucosal vaccines for the elimination of inhaled P. gingivalis in periodontal patients

Embryonic LTR retrotransposons supply promoter modules to somatic tissues

Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are widely distributed across the human genome. They have accumulated through retroviral integration into germline DNA and are latent genetic modules. Active LTR promoters are observed in germline cells; however, little is known about the mechanisms underlying their active transcription in somatic tissues. Here, by integrating our previous transcriptome data set with publicly available data sets, we show that the LTR families MLT2A1 and MLT2A2 are primarily expressed in human four-cell and eight-cell embryos and are also activated in some adult somatic tissues, particularly pineal gland. Three MLT2A elements function as the promoters and first exons of the protein-coding genes ABCE1, COL5A1, and GALNT13 specifically in the pineal gland of humans but not in that of macaques, suggesting that the exaptation of these LTRs as promoters occurred during recent primate evolution. This analysis provides insight into the possible transition from germline insertion to somatic expression of LTR retrotransposons.Peer reviewe

Effectiveness of mHealth consultation services for preventing postpartum depressive symptoms: a randomized clinical trial

妊娠中・産後にオンライン健康医療相談が利用できることで産後うつリスクが3分の2に低下. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-08-03.[Background] Although many conventional healthcare services to prevent postpartum depression are provided face-to-face, physical and psychosocial barriers remain. These barriers may be overcome by using mobile health services (mHealth). To examine the effectiveness of mHealth professional consultation services in preventing postpartum depressive symptoms in real-world settings, we conducted this randomized controlled trial in Japan, where universal free face-to-face perinatal care is available. [Methods] This study included 734 pregnant women living in Yokohama city who could communicate in Japanese, recruited at public offices and childcare support facilities. The participants were randomized to the mHealth group (intervention, n = 365), where they could use a free app-based mHealth consultation service with gynecologists/obstetricians, pediatricians, and midwives whenever and as many times as they wanted between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays throughout their pregnancy and postpartum periods (funded by the City of Yokohama government) or the usual care group (control, n = 369). The primary outcome was the risk of elevated postpartum depressive symptoms, defined as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score ≥ 9. Secondary outcomes were self-efficacy, loneliness, perceived barriers to healthcare access, number of clinic visits, and ambulance usage. All outcomes were collected three months post-delivery. We also conducted subgroup analyses assessing the differences in the treatment effect by sociodemographic status. [Results] Most women completed all questionnaires (n = 639 of 734, response rate: 87%). The mean baseline age was 32.9 ± 4.2 years, and 62% were primipara. Three months post-delivery, women in the mHealth group had a lower risk of elevated postpartum depressive symptoms (47/310 [15.2%]) compared to the usual care group (75/329 [22.8%], risk ratio: 0.67 [95% confidence interval: 0.48–0.93]). Compared with the usual care group, women in the mHealth group had higher self-efficacy, less loneliness, and fewer perceived barriers to healthcare access. No differences were observed in the frequency of clinic visits or ambulance usage. Furthermore, in the subgroup analyses, we did not find differences in the treatment effect by sociodemographic status. [Conclusions] Local government-funded mHealth consultation services have a preventive effect on postpartum depressive symptoms, removing physical and psychological barriers to healthcare access in real-world settings

Novel Autologous Therapy for Long-Gap Peripheral Nerve Injury Using Human Sk-SCs

Losses in vital functions of the somatic motor and sensory nervous system are induced by severe long-gap peripheral nerve transection injury. In such cases, autologous nerve grafts are the gold standard treatment, despite the unavoidable sacrifice of other healthy functions, whereas the prognosis is not always favorable. Here, we use human skeletal muscle-derived stem cells (Sk-SCs) to reconstitute the function after long nerve-gap injury. Muscles samples were obtained from the amputated legs from 9 patients following unforeseen accidents. The Sk-SCs were isolated using conditioned collagenase solution, and sorted as CD34+/45- (Sk-34) and CD34-/45-/29+ (Sk-DN/29+) cells. Cells were separately cultured/expanded under optimal conditions for 2 weeks, then injected into the athymic nude mice sciatic nerve long-gap model (7-mm) bridging an acellular conduit. After 8-12 weeks, active cell engraftment was observed only in the Sk-34 cell transplanted group, showing preferential differentiation into Schwann cells and perineurial/endoneurial cells, as well as formation of the myelin sheath and perineurium/endoneurium surrounding regenerated axons, resulted in 87% of numerical recovery. Differentiation into vascular cell lineage (pericyte and endothelial cells) were also observed. A significant tetanic tension recovery (over 90%) of downstream muscles following electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve (at upper portion of the gap) was also achieved. In contrast, Sk-DN/29+ cells were completely eliminated during the first 4 weeks, but relatively higher numerical (83% vs. 41% in axon) and functional (80% vs. 60% in tetanus) recovery than control were observed. Noteworthy, significant increase in the formation of vascular networks in the conduit during the early stage (first 2 weeks) of recovery was observed in both groups with the expression of key factors (mRNA and protein levels), suggesting the paracrine effects to angiogenesis. These results suggested that the human Sk-SCs may be a practical source for autologous stem cell therapy following severe peripheral nerve injury

Low serum albumin concentration is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background: The risk of osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is frequently overlooked, and investigating a simple indicator in routine care may be beneficial to motivate osteoporosis examination. The aim of this retrospective, case-controlled study was to identify the correlation between serum albumin concentrations and the prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal patients with RA. Methods: This study enrolled 197 patients who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of lumbar spine (LS) and proximal femur without osteoporosis treatment [mean age, 67.5 years; disease duration, 12.8 years; Disease Activity Score assessing 28 joints with C-reactive protein, 2.0; prednisolone dose, 4.9 mg/day (usage, 42.6%); and LS T-score, −1.9]. Patients were classified into 2 groups: osteoporosis, defined as ≥ 1 part bone mineral density T-score ≤ −2.5 or history of fragility fracture of the vertebra or proximal femur (121 patients), and non-osteoporosis (76 patients). Groups were then matched by propensity score using clinical backgrounds affecting bone metabolism. Results: In non-matched model, serum albumin concentration was significantly associated with osteoporosis-related factors such as aging, inflammation, physical disability, and glucocorticoid dose. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that serum albumin concentration was independently and significantly associated with osteoporosis risk (odds ratio = 0.22, 95% confidence interval = 0.08, 0.61, p = 0.0033). After propensity score matching, 57 patients for each group showed that in addition to the LS and femoral neck T-scores (p < 0.001), serum albumin concentrations (p = 0.01) remained lower in the osteoporosis group compared to non-osteoporosis group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in non-matched model revealed that when cut-off value of serum albumin concentration for indicating osteoporosis was set at 4.2 g/dl, the area under the curve was 0.69, sensitivity 0.74, and specificity 0.58. Conclusions: Low serum albumin concentration was significantly and independently associated with the prevalence of osteoporosis, which may be considered as one of the osteoporosis-related factors in postmenopausal patients with RA.Nagayama Y., Ebina K., Tsuboi H., et al. Low serum albumin concentration is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Orthopaedic Science 27, 1283 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jos.2021.08.018

The effects of switching daily teriparatide to oral bisphosphonates or denosumab in patients with primary osteoporosis

The aim of this 12-month, observational study was to compare the effects of switching daily teriparatide (TPTD) to oral bisphosphonates (BP) therapy or denosumab (DMAb) therapy in patients with primary osteoporosis. Patients [n = 78; 71 postmenopausal women and seven men; mean age 76.3 (64–94) years; mean duration of prior daily TPTD therapy 20.1 (6–24) months] were allocated to either the (1) “switch-to-BP” group [n = 36; weekly alendronate 35 mg (n = 19), weekly risedronate 17.5 mg (n = 12), monthly minodronate 50 mg (n = 5)]; or (2) “switch-to-DMAb” group (n = 42; 60 mg sc every 6 months) based on each physicians’ decision. Changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and serum bone turnover markers were monitored every 6 months. No significant difference was observed in baseline clinical characteristics between the groups. After 12 months, the increase in BMD was significantly greater in the switch-to-DMAb group compared to the switch-to-BP group: lumbar spine (6.2 vs. 2.6 %; P < 0.01), total hip (4.2 vs. 1.1 %; P < 0.05), and femoral neck (3.5 vs. 1.4 %; P < 0.05). In addition, the patients in the switch-to-DMAb group showed a significant decrease compared to those in the switch-to-BP group in TRACP-5b (−55.8 vs. −32.8 %; P < 0.01) and ucOC (−85.5 vs. −65.0 %; P < 0.001), while no significant difference was observed in PINP (−67.5 vs. −62.1 %). Switching daily TPTD to DMAb significantly increased BMD and decreased bone resorption marker compared to switching to oral BP at 12 months, and thus may provide an effective sequential treatment option after daily TPTD treatment.This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-015-0731-xEbina K., Hashimoto J., Kashii M., et al. The effects of switching daily teriparatide to oral bisphosphonates or denosumab in patients with primary osteoporosis. Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism 35, 91 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-015-0731-x